NYC skyscrapers are weird because the city is so cramped with them you don't even realize you're standing at the foot of the empire state or chrysler building. Then when you see them from places like soho they actually look really stumpy. chicago on the other hand... when you are at the willis/sears tower or hancock you can feel the epicness.

The Empire State is in terms of looks, I merely marvel at the engineering involved in doing all the math by hand. The Chrysler building on the other hand looks amazing, especially when you see its glimmering top shining on a sunny day.

That's very true--before computer modelling a lot of stuff was hugely overdesigned. Plus, previous engineering successes can always be used as a starting point for the designs to follow. But even considering that, some of the stuff we as a species have done over the years is still totally unbelievable to me.

The dawn of flight at the turn of the century to the Blackbird just five decades later?

That's very true--before computer modelling a lot of stuff was hugely overdesigned. Plus, previous engineering successes can always be used as a starting point for the designs to follow. But even considering that, some of the stuff we as a species have done over the years is still totally unbelievable to me.

The dawn of flight at the turn of the century to the Blackbird just five decades later?

True, but to be fair, the Oxcart project which ultimately culminated in the Blackbird was started in 1957. Anyway, it always blows my mind that they made those planes back then. It still seems like science fiction. Also, going through 13 major design iterations in 7 years is mind-blowing compared to the super-bloated schedules and budgets we have today. --Andre

What I always think of is that is the first SR-71 test flight was in the early 60s, what type of crazy shit do we have flying around now that no one knows about? There is a (I believe) PBS documentary about the latest joint strike fighter where the US gov gives Boeing and Lockheed 1bn apiece to build 2 aircraft. very fascinating documentary. Shows you how complex building an aircraft from scratch is.

The Empire State is in terms of looks, I merely marvel at the engineering involved in doing all the math by hand. The Chrysler building on the other hand looks amazing, especially when you see its glimmering top shining on a sunny day.

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but doing the math for a skyscraper built like either the Empire state building or the Chrysler building isn't all that impressive. They're not very complicated in terms of structural design, basically big tall steel beams with cross beams. The numbers involved are big, but the calculations aren't complicated. It's really just basic statics. Determining material requirements is pretty introductory in an engineering curriculum too.

Not to mention the factor of safety- usually pretty high in civil engineering projects, and undoubtedly higher back then.

Modern skyscrapers have gotten very, very complicated with all sorts of bells and whistles, but the empire state building and such really wouldn't have been all that difficult to design. You take previous skyscraper designs, scale them up, and adjust the size of the steel beams as appropriate.

Now planes- a little different. The Blackbird is absolutely nuts. Critical moving parts (elevators don't count) make things much more difficult. Weight matters, airflow matters, and thanks to the speed that thing travels at, thermal expansion of your parts matters. Simply insane what went into that plane.

Oh, another engineering tidbit: modern jet engines run at temperatures higher than the melting points of many of their main components, but the parts are grooved and airflow channeled so that while the engine is running hot enough to melt everything in it, the parts are being instantaneously cooled by the airflow.

I tried to be an aeronautical engineer. I learned enough to know where my knowledge stops before flipping majors. There's some pretty damn impressive stuff out there, but you have to remember it's more about incremental progress than great leaps forward.

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